Undergarment



Aug. 28 1945. v 2,383,590

UNDERGARMENT Filed June 5, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR HARRY COLL/N6 ATTORNEYS Aug. 28, 1945. COLLINS 2,383,590

UNDERGARMEN T Filed June 5, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR HARRY COLL/IVS ATTORNEY5 Patented Aug. 28, 1945 UNlTED STATES FATENT QIFFHQE UNDERGARMENT Harry Collins, New York, N. I Application June 5, 1942, Serial No. 445,908

4 Claims. (01. 2-43) My invention relates to feminine undergarments, and to girdles in particular.

The main object of my invention is the provision of a girdle; that is, a garment encompass" ing the body at about the hips, which will support the body while permitting full and free fi'ex- A further object of my invention is the provision of a girdle having a front panel thereon, a pair of openings in the sides of the front panel, and a sub-panel lying over or under the main panel, and having side extensions which pass through the side openings and around to the back of the girdle.

A further object of my invention is theprovision of a girdle of non-elastic material, yet of such construction asto support the body at rest firmly; and also during movement thereof.

Further objects of my invention will be, in part, apparent, and still others will be pointed out specifically in the following description of an illustrative embodiment. My invention is not to be limited by the description of this illustrative embodiment, but only by the scope of the annexed claims.

In the drawings annexed hereto, and forming a part hereof,

Figure 1 is a front elevational-view of one form of garment constructed according to and embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a left side elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. .5 is a front elevational view of anot er form of undergarment also constructed according to and embodying my invention;

Fig. 6 is a left side elevational view thereof; and

Fig. '7 is a section on the line 'l'! of Fig. 6.

Referring to the modification of my invention as illustratedin Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, my improved girdle, indicated generally by reference numeral It), comprises a front and rear portion. The main front panel I2 is formed of inelastic material.

bodyB about midway of the length of the panel The sides I4, M of panel l2 are cut substantially straight, extending vertically of terial, and in this modification it overlies the and then angling inwardly as at it, to the top of the panel. The lower'panel edge It is curved upwardly, as at 18. The topedge 20, of main panel I2, is slightly curved upwardly. At the bottom thereof, panel l2 extends across the body of the wearer from side to side. At the top thereof, panel 52 is much narrower, covering merely the, front of the body. An arcuate transverse slit 22 is formed in panel [2, curving across the front thereof, from side to side, see Fig. 1, stopping short of side edges M, M. The middle portion of this slit 22 is closed by'suita-ble'stitch ing or fagoting, leaving a pair of angled-slits or'openings 24, 24 at the sides of the main panel |2. Panel I 2 may be formed, if desired, of. two thicknesses of material instead of the single layer shown and described herein.

A second panel 26 is provided, forming a part of the front portion of my new andimproved girdle. PanelZfi is also ofnon-expansible ma lower portion of panel l2, and isprovided: with a pair of downwardly extending tongues 28,. 23' at each lower side edge thereof. Panel 26 is formed of two thicknesses of material secured together at the lower edge thereof, but not secured together at the upper edge thereof, in this modification, 7

except as indicated below.

The panels of my undergarment are substantially imperforate members; that is, they are continuous widths of material except for the slits provided for the passage of the extensions. They are not mere belts or straps, and while I refer to them as imperfo-rate members, they may be apertured for ventilation purposes, etc.

I provide a pair of garter straps 3t], 3!] secured to the front of my undergarment, at the bottom thereof, one end 32 of each strap being connected to tongue 28 and the other end 34 of each strap being secured to the lower side edge of the main panel l2. Each garter strap 36 passes through a loop or ring in a conventional stocking clasp as 10. Panel 26 is provided with body encircling strap portions 36, 36also of two thicknesses of material-on each side of the panel and extending rearwardly and upwardly therefrom. The upper or outer thickness of material of each of these straps 35, 3E overlies the lower part of panel l2 up to the angled slits 24, 24 where the two thicknesses of panel 26 come together, as at 55 (see Fig. 4), and extend around to the back of the garment to form a part of said garment back. The two panels, l2 and 25, are not otherwise connected than through the garter straps 30, 30.

A pair of strap portions 49, 4B are provided, extending from the front of the device, at the top thereof, around to the back. Straps 49, 4B are secured, as by fagoting or otherwise, to the angled edges l5, l5, as at 42, 42, and to the upper edges 44, 44 of thebody encircling portions 36, 38 of panel 26, as at 46, 46. Both the portions 36, 38, and straps 44, 44 meet midway of the rear of the garment. Straps 40, 40 and extension 36, 38 form the upper part of the rear portion of the girdle.

The lower part of the rear of the girdle is composed of a panel 5t, which is centrally and vertically bifurcated asat 52. Panel 50 is bias- ,cut, and is connected at its upper edge as by fagoting to the lower edges of extensions 38, 38,

as at 54, and at its lower edge 56 to agusset insert 58 of horizontally straight out material.

separable fastener means, laces, tapes, or the like, as indicated at 60, may be employed to close up the rear of the girdle along the center line 26 pass through slits 24, 24, extend underneath the front panel I 2 and then up and around to securement to and as a part of the rear of the garment. In the-front of the girdle," the two panels are separate entities, and their only connection is via the garter straps 35, 3%, as above specified.

In the modification of my invention illustrated in Figures 5 to '7, inclusive, similar reference characters will be employed to designate parts similar to those in Figs. 1 to 4. The main point of distinction between the two forms of my invention is that in this modification, the subpanel is beneath, the main body panel.

Main front panel 80 has straightsides 82, and its lower edge 84 is upwardly curved as is its upper edge 86, so that, in effect, panel 89 comprises a band which curves upwardly across the abdominal regions of the wearer B. Panel 89 is secured to the rear portion 59 by fagoting, as at 5|. The second panel!!!) making up the front portion is shaped, generally, like an inverted trapezoid, except that its upper edge 92 is downwardly curved. It has the downwardly extending tongues 28 to which ends 32 of garter 30 are I secured,'the other ends 34 of the garters being edge 86 of panel 80, and is secured thereto as by fagoting at 99. The sides of strap panel 98 are secured to panel 95 as by fagoting as at Hit. Strap 98 extends around to the rear of the girdle as do panels til, 40 in the first form.

While my girdle, in all its modifications may be made in non-rubberized, inelastic material, they need not be so made.

In use, the fastenings B0 in the rear of the girdle are loosened so that the wearer can step into the girdle and pull it up over the hips. The fastenings 6B are then pulled as close as comfort permits, and then the stockings S engaged by clasps 10 in the front of the girdle, and additional clasps 72, 1'2 in the rear thereof, as desired.

While the wearer is erect, my girdle will firmly hold and support the body. When the wearer is moving or bending, my girdle will move therewith, following the movements with the panels 26, 98 sliding laterally relative to the panels i2, 30

through the garter 30 connection through the loop in the clasp Hi.

There need not necessarily be any elastic material in my device, apart from the garter straps 3d, 30 but the cantilever effect achieved by my construction results in flexibility previously achieved only by girdles formed of elastic materials.

Having now described my invention, which I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An undergarment adapted to encircle the waist, hips and thighs of the wearer, comprising a front portion and a rear portion, the front portion comprising a pair of imperforate continuous panels extending across the front of the garment substantially from side to side thereof, said panels being slidable laterally with respect 'to each other, one of said panels overlying the other thereof, one of said panels being apertured at each side thereof, extensions from the other panel passing through the apertures in the first panel.

2. An undergarment as in claim 1 in which the outer overlying panel is apertured at the sides thereof.

3. An undergarment as in claim 1 in which the last referred to extensions passing through the apertures extend around to the rear of the garment and form a part of said rear portion.

4. An undergarment as in claim 1 in which a plurality of garter straps are connected to both panels at the lower edges thereof, the said panels being slidable laterally and reciprocably with respect to each other through the garter connections.

HARRY COLLINS. 

